Dan Dillard

As a kid, I dreamed of visiting The Emerald City. As an adult, I bought property in South Park, Colorado.

In between – I made various Narnias, solved cases in Bayport, imagined skipping school, (and getting detention) in Shermer, Ill., and stopped for coffee in Ilium. I’ve wished that floo powder was a real thing, and daydreamed of becoming a Slayer in Sunnydale. I’ve planned my escape from Arkham, and I built my fictional vacation home in Castle Rock.

My recent literary travels brought me to Walker’s Woods, a small Midwestern town where bad things happen. The latest news focuses on a string of disappearances, and a possible serial killer in the area.

Chelsea Ritter lives, and goes to school in Walker’s Woods. At 14 years old, the headlines are not her top priority. Yet.

Her parents got divorced when she was younger, and Chelsea lives with her dad, Luke. They share the same quirky sense of humor, and love of good music. He’s not as fond of Persephone, her four year old pet tarantula, as he used to be. Creepy, or not, Persephone is still a part of their family.

School kind of sucks, especially if you’re being harassed by the troglodytes roaming the halls. She is a good student, but like most people – she enjoys her extra-curricular activities more. She loves to read, watch old b&w monster movies, and she is an exceptional artist. She has also kept a non-traditional kind of journal since she was eleven. At first, it was just something to do. Now, the pages of “WEIRD SHIT MY NEIGHBOR DOES” are almost full. They’ve never officially met, but she is amused by Mr. Clay, and his OCD habits.

It probably would have stayed just a fun way to pass time – if she hadn’t accidentally happened upon something unusual, even for him. She was trying to hunt down a grasshopper for Persephone. It had hopped off her porch, and when she found it again, it was in-between her house and Mr. Clay’s house. Just as she captured it, she heard something hit Mr. Clay’s basement window from the inside. She was startled by the sound, and dropped Persephone’s snack. As it hopped away, she noticed that whatever caused the sound on the window, had also chipped away a piece of the black paint that was he used instead of curtains. She heard sounds, possibly voices, but she couldn’t make them out, and she couldn’t see into the basement from her vantage point. She did the next best thing – she pulled out her cell phone, and got it set up and recording video with minimal effort. After she got about ten minutes recorded, she grabbed her phone and headed home to say goodbye to her dad before he left on a quick business trip.

She ordered a pizza and settled in to watch a old horror movie, forgetting all about the recording until she went to bed. The light from the neighbor’s bedroom window came on, and reminded her. She grabbed her journal, a handful of pens, and hopped into bed – ready to watch Mr. Arthur Clay, and take some notes before going to sleep for the night.

What she saw would have been enough to keep other people awake for the rest of their lives.

Her neighbor mutilated & murdered someone while she was right outside, separated only by a thin pane of glass. He killed her, he drained her, and he cut out her eyes. And Chelsea had it on video.

I don’t know what I would do if I recorded a video of a murder. Call the police, hide under my bed, move – all pretty good options. I certainly wouldn’t go knock on a murderer’s door to tell them I have evidence of the crime. Blackmail can be lucrative, but it’s still a little too dangerous for me. Chelsea, on the other hand, knows exactly what she wants.

She was a little nervous when she knocked on his door, but his awkwardness empowered her. When she told him that she saw him, and recorded what he did – the fear and anger showed on his face.

That’s when Chelsea smiled, and told Art exactly what she wanted.… (mere)

I received an early copy of GIVING UP THE GHOST from Dan in February. Right when I started it, my dad died. I read it on the plane, going to the funeral. I know this might sound strange to most of you, but, this story helped me get through the next few days! I took much comfort in it. Odd place to find peace, in a horror novel, but I did! The story is excellent! I cried, I laughed out loud, I got angry… I fell in love with these characters
Gerry Sheffield is a real piece of work. Can’t keep a job, can’t stay any sort of sober, and he has always relied on his parents to bail him out of the trouble he can’t seem to keep himself out of. A grown man who won’t take responsibility.
After a particularly nasty bender, and a run-in with his landlord, Gerry is calling his parents, again – not asking for help as much as demanding their help. After all, they are his parents. It’s their job to look out for their son.
His parents, Margo & Bill, are at the end of their rope.
They’d always tried to help their son. The college tuition that was wasted, the car repairs, the down payment on his now ex-wife’s house, everything. They’re out of patience, and they’re almost out of means. After 27 years, they decide – no more. Clean up your self, clean up your act, put on your big-boy pants & cowboy the fuck up.
The following morning, Gerry gets two checks.
One is for his rent & a thousand bucks for the month.
The second… a great big really check from his dad.
This is it. No more. Sink or swim.
Gerry actually makes a whole-hearted attempt, one last shot to make something of his life, to make his father proud! But, within a day, any chance of walking the straight & narrow is blown. He’s actually made things far worse!
Self righteousness mixed with self pity doesn’t make a good combination. So, once again convincing himself that his problems are all because of someone else, Gerry’s anger helps propel him into calling his parents, to blame Bill & Margo for every single thing that has ever gone wrong in his entire miserable existence. It is bad. He finally says the things that make his parents turn their backs, close their hearts and lock him out. He’s gone too far this time. Realizing what he has done, Gerry’ s hurt eventually gives itself over to hate. And, Gerry lands himself in jail. Again.

Read GIVING UP THE GHOST to find out how far Bill & Margo willing to go to get Gerry to change his ways.
After death, is there anything they won’t do?… (mere)